Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
“There are three types of people in the world, the perpetrators, the victims, and the bystanders. Each lives in their own sea, separately. And the waters will never mix.”
Minase Jin is a serious, intelligent high school student, almost always nose-deep in books, sticking to his small clique of three nerds and considering himself a bystander in the world. Nothing exciting happens in his life – there’s no romance, no drama, just a steady thrum of books, grades, homework, exams, and the occasional hangout with friends to discuss cram school and future academic goals. And then there’s Hirukawa Haruki, the class delinquent – rarely at school, often covered in bruises, assumed to be from street fights. The boys live in the same area, and even though Minase does his best to stay away from troublemakers like Hirukawa, their paths collide, and an unlikely deep bond grows between the two.
Directed by Shibata Keisuke and Makino Masaruthe, the Japanese drama Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu has been adapted from the Korean webtoon Our Youth (미성년) by Hi Noon. Spanning eleven episodes, the show stars Motojima Junsei as the highbrowed Minase, while Kamimura Kenshin plays problem-child Hirukawa. Seemingly from very different worlds, can their waters truly meet at the same shore to find lasting happiness?
The perceptive Minase often regards Hirukawa with disdain, largely indifferent to his presence. However, an unexpected incident reveals that Hirukawa is not the feared school rogue or troublemaker but rather a victim of a broken home, deserving pity rather than judgment. Initially, Minase helps Hirukawa out of a sense of pity – much like a child aiding a stray. As the series unfolds, it delicately charts the evolution of Minase’s feelings for Hirukawa. What begins as fear and indifference shifts to pity and empathy, only to leave Minase increasingly unsettled by Hirukawa’s bold advances, irresistible charm, and unapologetically direct seductions. Even as they grow closer, both acknowledge the need to keep an an arm’s length from each other at school.
‘Our Youth’ (Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu) poignantly captures the confusing exhilaration of first love with the bitter realities of growing up in broken homes. While Hirukawa’s parents are divorced, his father a raging, abusive alcoholic, Minase’s parents are never around, so he practically lives alone most of the time. Both Motojima Junsei and Kamimura Kenshin deliver standout performances as leads Minase and Hirukawa respectively. Motojima Junsei especially stands out in the first half of the show, gradually transforming from the class Ice King with no time for emotional entanglements, let alone romance, to becoming vulnerable, distracted, and helplessly in love. Kamimura Kenshin is consistently engaging as Hirukawa, deceptively portraying the ‘bad boy’ look at first, and then unraveling as a sensitive soul with an artistic heart. The onscreen chemistry is close to crackling, and the ‘serious nerd falls for slacker’ makes their dynamic more electric.
I wasn’t expecting the time jump in the second half of the series, which shifts focus to the protagonists’ lives through college and as working adults. A bit more screen time for the adult versions of Hirukawa and Minase would have been welcome. The creators could’ve considered tweaking the mood of the series along with the timeline shift too. While the leads as teens go through a turbulent and grim time in high school, they live pretty relaxed, albeit hectic, lives as university students, but viewers aren’t allowed to savor the more stable phase of their relationship.
Surprisingly, although Motojima Junsei seemed like the stronger performer of the two, he isn’t as convincing as an older working man, retaining a youthful, innocent vulnerability even in the latter half. Thankfully, this doesn’t feel too discordant, as his character evolves into someone slightly insecure and a bit petulant. Kamimura Kenshin continues to be charming and casually confident as adult Hirukawa. ‘Our Youth’ (Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu) flits between the perspectives of both protagonists, even though Minase tends to be the dominant narrator of the tale.
Overall, this is a well-executed, understated, angsty teen romance, which keeps a razor-sharp focus on its lead pair, rarely distracting viewers from the primary story. Blending poetic reflections with delicate oceanic imagery, Our Youth dives deep into the turbulence and tenderness of teenage love.
Rating: 8.5 on 10. Watch the series on TVer.